Creative Teams

Carmen López

Psychologist. Master in Human Resources.

 

Do you have a complex problem in your company and need a creative team to solve it? Here are some tips and recommendations:

 

Form a diverse team, but don't pay attention to physical diversity such as age, gender, or skin color.

 

Focus on cognitive diversity. Your employees should have complementary skills, different ways of thinking and different cultures. 

 

The ideal number is between 4 and 9 members. Once you have formed the team this way, you have a lot of creative energy.

 

It is in this energy that the greatest risk is hidden.

Your team is like a Formula 1: It can go very fast towards the target, or it can go off the road if you don't control it.

 

Here are the basic rules for managing that team:

 

1. Appoint a referee. 

This figure controls the interaction between team members, resolves conflicts and focuses everyone towards the goal. 

The referee has the authority to end discussions and hire and fire team members. She must ensure that everyone works on an equal footing and expresses their ideas.

 

2. All team members should leave their ego at home.

 

3. the team structure is completely flat. Only the referee has formal power.

 

4. All ideas are criticized mercilessly. Very important: Ideas are criticized, not people.

 

5. There are no individual winners or losers. The team wins if the best idea wins.

 

On paper it is simple, but not in practice, because the secret of success is the use of psychology to deal with emotions. Frustration, anger, fear, and conflict can appear and destroy the project. That's why the referee is so important.

 

Are you a team leader? Tell me about your experience!